Ask Father Hardon

Catholic FaithVol. 4 - #1, Jan / Feb 1998

A. Evil in general is the privation of a good that should be present. It is the lack
of a good that essentially belongs or is due to a being. Evil is therefore
the absence of what ought to be there.

Physical evil is the privation of a natural good desired
by a human being. It is the absence of some satisfaction desired by a human
appetite, whether spiritual or bodily. In general, it may be equated with
pain. It is the loss or deprivation of what a person wants.

Moral evil is sin, as distinct from physical
evil, which is some form of suffering. It is evil because it is contrary
to the will of God; it is moral evil because it is caused by a free, created
will acting against the law of God, who does not want moral evil as an end
or as a means. The Council of Trent condemned the contrary doctrine. God
simply permits moral evil because of consideration of human freedom, and because
he has the wisdom and power to cause good to arise from evil. In the end,
moral evil will serve the supreme purpose of the universe, the glorification
of God, since it reveals both His mercy in forgiving and His justice in punishing.

Q. Could you provide me a list of good Catholic books to read? M.L., North Carolina

A. The most comprehensive list of good Catholic books is contained
in The Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan. Originally published by Doubleday,
the book is now out of print. However, Grotto Press plans to republish it
soon.

Q. Please explain how and when pride is sinful? D.K., Washington

A. As ordinarily defined, pride is the inordinate
esteem of oneself. It is inordinate because it is contrary to the truth.
It is essentially an act or disposition of the will desiring to be considered
better than a person really is. Pride may be expressed in different ways:
by taking personal credit for gifts or possessions, as if they had not been
received from God; by glorying in achievements, as if they were not primarily
the result of divine goodness and grace; by minimizing ones defects or claiming
qualities that are not actually possessed; by holding oneself superior to
others or disdaining them because they lack what the proud person has; by
magnifying the defects of others or dwelling on them. When pride is carried
to the extent that a person is unwilling to acknowledge dependence on God
and refuses to submit his or her will to God or lawful authority, it is a
grave sin. The gravity depends on how totally a person contemns God or those
who take His place.

It is not pride to appreciate the natural
or supernatural gifts that we possess. The secret is to see them as the gifts
of God and not something which is really our own. Our Lady makes this clear
in her Magnificat when she praises God for the wonderful gifts He has given
her and used these gifts according to His will.